Ed Miliband's lost 'Ed Stone' up for tabloid reward for those who can locate it

If he became Prime Minister, the idea was the 8ft 6in-high limestone monument would be erected in the Rose Garden of Downing Street or in the party’s HQ

Miliband unveiling Labour’s pledges carved in stone in Hastings on 3 May (Getty Images)

It was one of the most questionable moments of the Miliband campaign trail.

Talking to the constituents of Hastings in the humble surrounds of a car park, the former Labour leader unveiled a Moses-like slab setting six of his key policies in stone for all to see.

If he became Prime Minister, the idea was the 8ft 6in-high limestone monument would be erected in the Rose Garden of Downing Street or in the party’s HQ.

Sadly, the election didn’t go quite as planned for Miliband. The landslide Conservative majority in England, and the SNP winning all but four seats in Scotland, led to his resignation on Friday afternoon (and a subsequent shout-out to Milifandom).

Since then, the ‘Ed Stone’ – which is rumoured to be worth upwards of £30,000 – has been missing, and the right-wing tabloid press are offering rewards for its return.

Thus far, Labour sources have declined to comment on its whereabouts, with acting leader Harriet Harman telling the Today programme on Monday that she doesn’t have a clue about its location.

Meanwhile, Jon Snow vowed to send a team down to Hastings to uncover it for Channel 4 News during his stint on Have I Got Election News For You on Friday.

The Sun went as far as to set up a dedicated ‘Ed Stone Hotline’, urging those with any information on the missing monument to come forward.

The Mail is currently offering a case of Champagne to readers who can supply them with the essentially useless but mildly amusing details as to its whereabouts.

The Telegraph’s political team went as far as to attempt to uncover exactly where the stone had been manufactured, contacting over 50 masonary firms. Alas, no one has thus far admitted to creating the object.

Several send-up listings of the stone have since appeared on eBay:

And that’s not forgetting all the helpful tips on social media, including this from Jeremy Vine:

The ‘Ed Stone’ search comes as David Miliband is set to address his own political career intentions on Monday.